​The Economic Development Corporation (EDC) is a public economic development corporation. The EDC was created to alleviate and prevent conditions of unemployment; to assist and retain local industries and commercial enterprises; to strengthen and revitalize the economy of the City of Grand Rapids and of the State of Michigan; to provide means and methods for the encouragement and assistance of industrial and commercial enterprises in locating, purchasing construction, reconstructing, modernizing, improving, maintaining, repairing, furnishing, equipping, and expanding in the City of Grand Rapids; to encourage the location of commercial enterprises to more conveniently provide needed services and facilities of the commercial enterprises to the City of Grand Rapids and its residents.